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Short A Word Families

Reading Path · Level 5

Word family worksheets, short a word families

Two word family houses on every page. Your child will read a short a ending and write the first letter to spell five real words, with an answer key at the back.

Download free FREE
  • 13 printable pages
  • Color and black-and-white PDFs, US Letter and A4
  • Ages 4 to 6 · Preschool and Kindergarten
  • Print as often as you like

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Try 3 pages free first

Practice these sounds in the free reading app

Short A Word Families sample page

Goes well with this pack

Help your child read and write whole word families, not just single letters.

A child who sounds out every letter from scratch reads slowly. Word families train the eye and ear together: once a child knows -at, reading several words at once comes easier. These houses give that practice in small, friendly steps.

What you get

  • 10 word family house pages, two houses on every page
  • Five real words to read and spell in every house
  • A beginning-letter box next to every word
  • A picture on every row to keep it fun
  • An answer key
  • A guide for the grown-up

Look inside

Every page comes in full color and in black and white with outline pictures to color in.

Short A Word Families: sample page 1Short A Word Families: sample page 2Short A Word Families: sample page 3Short A Word Families: sample page 4

Inside this pack

Every word in this pack, A to Z

ab, ad, ag, am, ap, bad, bag, ban, bat, cab, cat, check, complete, dab, dad, dam, easy, end, family, fan, fat, gap, had, ham, hat, house, jab, jam, key, lab, labeled, lap, last, learning, let, like, looks, loud, mad, makes, man, map, mat, missing, nab, nag, nap, new, next, own, pad, pan, pat, rag, ram, ran, rap, rat, reads, sad, sag, sap, sat, saying, share, so, tab, tag, tan, tap, their, time, together, top, van, wag, which, work, writes, yam.

What is on each page

  • Page 1: -at at -an an
  • Page 2: -ap ap -ag ag
  • Page 3: -am am -ad ad
  • Page 4: -ab ab -at at
  • Page 5: -an an -ap ap
  • Page 6: -ag ag -am am
  • Page 7: -ad ad -ab ab
  • Page 8: -at at -an an
  • Page 9: -ap ap -ag ag
  • Page 10: -am am -ad ad

Who it is for

Preschool and Kindergarten children building phonics skills, usually ages 4 to 6. Good for home, homeschool, morning work and reading centers.

Good questions

Is there an answer key?

Yes, on the last page.

Which word families are included?

The short a families: -at, -an, -ap, -ag, -am, -ad, -ab.

What exactly do I download?

The same 13 pages as PDF files in full color and in ink-saving black and white, each sized for US Letter paper and for A4. Print the one you like.

How do I get it?

The button takes you to the download page, run by Polar. There is nothing to pay. It asks for your email address so it can send you the files.

Can I use it with my class?

Yes. Print as often as you like for your own children or your own class.

The One Sheet

Want the next sheet made for your child?

This pack is free. The One Sheet goes further: one sheet a day, made for your child from what you tell us happened.

  • No planning. Today’s sheet is ready every day.
  • Made for your child. The next sheet is built from what you tell us.
  • A few minutes of your time. Paper, not a screen.

See The One Sheet · $9.99 a month

Or try the 10-day plan: From Sounds to Words, $19 one timeOr do the free 3-minute check first